Apple's principal chipmaker TSMC plans to raise prices by as much as 10 percent starting in 2027, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia.
The Taiwan-based foundry has reportedly held talks with clients about base price increases of 5 to 10 percent, covering both mature nodes and the more advanced processes at 7-nanometers and below that Apple relies on for its A-series and M-series chips. Negotiations began in June and were finalized this month, according to the publication's sources, with the new pricing set to take effect at the start of 2027.
Customers placing additional high-performance computing orders beyond their original forecasts will face a further 10 to 15 percent premium, which could lead to some advanced chip orders costing more than 10 percent extra overall.
The increased prices are said to reflect rising costs for materials, manufacturing equipment, and construction of new overseas chip plants.
TSMC reportedly decided to delay the hikes until 2027 to give customers time to adjust after negotiations concluded. The company declined to comment on the reported prices, but told Nikkei Asia that its general market approach was "strategic, not opportunistic."
Apple is TSMC's largest customer, and the timing means higher chip costs would come in the same year that Apple is rumored to launch additional iPhone 18 models as well as its 20th anniversary iPhone models. Whether Apple absorbs the increases or passes them along to customers remains to be seen. Apple last month dramatically increased device prices across multiple product lines, which CEO Tim Cook called "unavoidable," citing the soaring cost of memory and storage chips.
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